The Cricketers Inn 0 1 9 6 2 8 8 4 6 6 4 - Itchen Abbas · 2018. 6. 19. · Alresford Concert 12...
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Transcript of The Cricketers Inn 0 1 9 6 2 8 8 4 6 6 4 - Itchen Abbas · 2018. 6. 19. · Alresford Concert 12...
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I T C H E N
M O T O R C o .
L O N D O N R O A D , K I N G S W O R T H Y
W I N C H E S T E R , S O 2 3 7 Q N
M O T S E R V I C IN G
R E P A I R S T Y R E S & T R A C K IN G
E X H A U S T S B A T T E R I E S
A I R C O N D I T I O N I N G D I A G N O S T I C S
T e l e p h o n e
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The Cricketers Inn Easton Village, SO21 1EJ
A traditional and friendly
village inn
“Menu of the Day", runs Mon-Fri
2 courses for £10 or 3 for £12
Home cooked food, real ales
and en-suite accommodation
Tel: 01962 791044
www.thecricketersinn-easton.co.uk
The Cricketers Pub Easton Hampshire
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WELCOME to the Valley News
I daren’t mention the weather; by the time you read this who knows what will be happening! We can only hope that the various outdoor events, (especially the ones on 19 May!) will be blessed with sunshine, and that sufficient rain will fall to keep our gardens blooming. The first of the outdoor events in the Valley is on 29 April at 0445hrs - which is why I mention it here because you might otherwise find out about it too late. I can’t promise to see you there!
There is a strong musical flavour to the What’s On section, with a choice of two concerts on two evenings, and tennis is the sport of the moment, with two events in May. There is also advance publicity for a few events later in the summer, which are worth putting in your diary now, and the Easton Fete organisers would love to hear from you if you are able to help. I am grateful to all contributors. Once again there was material to spare which is always a mixed blessing and anxiety for the sub editor of the month; will those contributors who have been left out take umbrage by the bottlefull, or will they understand that something else was more topical, more local or, and this is embarrassing to admit, just fitted the available space better! Talking of being topical, the cover picture is of the Martyr Worthy Plant sale, which as I write has not yet happened. However, thanks to Penny Russell, we have an up to the minute sunny front cover picture. A report will no doubt appear next month. The Annual Parochial Church Meeting also took place after the copy date, but
owing to the superhuman efficiency of our IVN special reporter we managed to include it in this month’s magazine. The Annual Parish Meeting will also have taken place in April and will be reported on in the next edition. Perhaps you could write a report on one of the Valley events you attend, or even one in Windsor. Your contribution would be welcome. If you are 16 or under see page 40 for a reminder of the Cover Photo competition - half an hour should be enough to take that winning photo!
Next month’s editors are Lucy Wolfe and Fi McIntosh. Charlotte Appleby
Itchen Valley News Chief Editor Vernon Tottle Editors Charlotte Appleby, Verity
Coleman, Tony Gaster, Fiona McIntosh, Lucy Wolfe Advertising Jenny Sloan Distribution Lyn Jones IA&A 07899 922221 Jane Chichester E&MW 779315 Treasurer Andrew Kennedy
For editorial enquiries, articles, letters or comments, please email: [email protected]. For advertising enquiries, please email: [email protected]
Postal address: Itchen Valley News, Hazeldene, Northington Road, Itchen Abbas, SO21 1BE Please send all contributions for June 2018 by Tuesday 15 May. All material is published in good faith and the
Valley News cannot be held responsible for any
information given or views expressed; neither can it be
liable for any loss arising from the use of any information or advertisements contained herein. The
Editorial Team reserves the right to refuse or amend
articles or advertisements submitted for publication.
Printed by Greenhouse Graphics of Basingstoke. Cover photo by Charlotte Appleby, other photos from
various contributors.
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Donation £25 per player includes two course picnic lunch (Bring chairs or rugs, non-players welcome for lunch)
Book today on 773185 or email [email protected]
Sue Gentry
Saturday 12 May Concerts in Winchester Cathedral and Alresford
See pages 7 and 18 for details of two tempting concerts, one French music and the other thoroughly English.
Saturday 12 May Worthy Park Tennis Club’s Great British Tennis Open Day 2pm - 5pm
Come along and see what’s happening at Worthy Park Tennis Club based at Princes Mead School. To include 8s & under Session, Junior (9+) Session, Adult Coaching. Or just book a slot to play! There will be members available to knock-up with you or, if you’d prefer, to play doubles!
For more information, please go onto our website www.worthyparktennis club.com and click on the GBTW link to book onto a session, book a court or just to register your interest.
We are THE local Tennis Club in this part of the Itchen Valley. Hope to see you there! Jenny Sloan WPTC Club Chairman
Wednesday 16 May AGM of Martyr Worthy Parish Hall 7pm in the hall
The business of the meeting will include approval of the Minutes of the 2017 AGM, reports by the Chairman and Treasurer, the election of the Management Committee for the forthcoming year and any other matters arising. All residents of Martyr Worthy aged 18 or more are entitled to attend and vote and will be very welcome. Guy Green Chairman Mgmnt Committee
What’s on
Sunday 29 April Watercress Way Dawn to Dusk.
See www.thewatercress way. org.uk for full details, but at Couch Green, Itchen Abbas S021 1EA we have three activities: -. 1. 4.45 am Birdsong Dawn Chorus walk - please book a place info@ thewatercressway.org.uk 2. 10.00 – 11.00 am Visit to Itchen Abbas old Watercress Line station, coffee at sponsor pub The Plough at 11.00
3. 12.00- 1.00 pm Mouse House Hunt for families
Kim Adams
Until 18 May The Leaves of the Tree
A diverse exhibition of work by Winchester Cathedral Scribes and invited artists highlighting many of the beloved plants growing around the Cathedral, as well as botanical imagery inspired by the Bible, with a special display on the culinary and medicinal relevance of plants in a monastic garden. Geraldine Haig-Haddow
Thursday 10 May Charity Tennis Tournament
In aid of Home-Start Winchester
Sponsored by IVC Cars of Alresford Thursday 10 May, 2018 at a court near you, with lunch kindly hosted by Sue & David Elton at Lane End Farm House, Longwood SO21 1JU. Play as an individual, group or court of eight players. Shopping opportunities available.
Sunday 19 May Concerts in Romsey Abbey and Stockbridge
See pages 7 and 18 for details of two concerts this evening.
Tuesday 22 May Deadline for booking tickets for Easton Duck Race BBQ
Booking form and further details on page 10
Wednesday 30 May Easton Village Hall AGM
Everyone in Easton and surrounding area is invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Easton Village Hall and Recreation Ground Trust. It will be in the Hall on Wednesday 30 May at 8pm. Drink and nibbles and informal chat beforehand from 7.30pm. The formal business will be: Chairman’s Report, Treasurer’s Report, progress with improvements to the Hall, election of Trustees, questions and answers and any other business. If there is anything else you would like to raise at the meeting it would be helpful to let me know in advance via [email protected]
We thank all the volunteers and fundraisers who support the Hall so enthusiastically throughout the year. Also we invite anyone who is interested to consider joining the Committee as an elected trustee or co-opted member. Ask your Committee if you want to know more (Robert Hall, Sally Stone, Ina Williams, Adam Murch, David Purser, Mike Cox, Lyn Russell, Iris Lacey or Simon Broadley). Simon Broadley, Hon Secretary
Saturday 9 June Alresford Music Festival
For more information see website alresfordmusic festival.com. Tickets cheaper if bought in advance.
Sunday 24 June Martyr Worthy Open Gardens See Page 9
Sunday 26 August Easton Fete
The Easton Fete is back for 2018! Mark your diary and tell your friends and family. There’ll be a range of activities for everyone. If you would like to help or want to know more, please contact us at [email protected] or alternatively phone Donna on 779552 or Lyn on 779818 Further details
Easton & Martyr Worthy Safari Supper 2018
Fifty people enjoyed the Easton and Martyr Worthy Safari Supper on 17 March and just managed to avoid the snow which hit in force later that night. As a result we are delighted to say that we raised nearly £700 in donations which will be divided between St Mary’s Church and Easton Village Hall. Thank you to everyone who hosted a course and to Frits and Sara Janssen for holding the finale in their home. Terry McGowan
Lent Lunches 2018
Thank you to the Itchen Valley Community for the huge effort in raising a magnificent sum of £2,016 for two Defibrillators. This amount, in conjunction with the Boomtown Grant of £800 allocated to each of the two village halls, IA&A and Easton, will enable them to purchase Defibrillators. I would like to thank all those people who opened their homes and hosted one of the Lunches over the six Fridays in Lent. It really has been a great achievement and I hope that there may be some new people who would like to host one next year. Please do make contact with me.
We look forward in anticipation to the
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placement of the Defibrillators in the Valley over the next months and, subsequently, a crash course in how to use them in an emergency.
Many thanks again for your support. Stephanie Gretton Lent lunch Co-ordinator.
Alresford Concert 12 May
Luminosa (formerly Holybourne Singers) come to St John’s Church in Alresford on Saturday 12 May at 7.30pm to perform a programme of French music. The choir will be joined by a very special surprise guest soprano and instrumentalists, who will be fresh from solo performances at the Royal Albert Hall this year. The choir will also perform John Rutter’s glorious Requiem. This concert supports Challengers, a charity that provides play and leisure schemes for disabled children and young people. Tickets at £15 at are available from Waterstones, Alton, Six West in Alresford or boxoffice@luminosa music.com
Singers in harmony with countryside charity 19 May
Two internationally renowned choirs will join together for a charity concert.
The acapella singing group made up of the all-male group The Close Shaves and the all-ladies group The High Heels will perform at Stockbridge Town Hall at 6.30pm on Saturday 19 May.
The money raised will support the work of CPRE Hampshire, which strives to protect the county’s beautiful countryside. Tickets are limited so book early to avoid disappointment! To book tickets, please email [email protected].
New Rector
Following what must be one of the shortest interregnums in Church of England history we appointed our new Rector on Sunday 15 April. The ceremony was totally joyous with a full church at Easton.
The great and the good as well as friends and relations came from far and wide to help Alex celebrate and to pledge their support for his ministry. It is unusual in that we know him and his family much better than we usually would with a new Vicar and, not to dismiss any of Alex’s great skills and talents, I think it fair to say that the contribution his family have already made to the valley is a significant part of our delight in his new appointment.
The life of the parish has seen much change in the last few years in both administration and style and I look forward to working closely with Alex and the whole community.
I have no doubt that Alex will ensure that God’s work in growing this community in strength and brotherhood will continue. After living here for more than thirty years I can honestly say I feel we are more of a
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community than ever and the time that people lingered over drinks and canapés was testament to this. And, by the way, many thanks to Alex for providing these as a thank you to everyone.
Bishop David gave us an inspiring sermon (and on request wore his full regalia and mitre for the occasion) and in his usual down to earth style encouraged us all to work together with Alex, assuring us that Alex could be here until he is seventy five. I am not sure it would be fair for us to hold him to that, but we certainly look forward to a good few successful years together after a great start on Sunday. Gerry Stacey Licensed Lay Minister
Easton W.I.
At our meeting in April, we welcomed Viv Wheeler, a Trustee of the Friends of the Family charity based at The Friends’ Meeting House in Colebrook Street. She explained the many and varied reasons why young children need support and friendship in their lives. This could be for a child caring for a disabled mother, for the sibling of an autistic brother or sister or a parent with mental health problems. Families struggling with day-to-day family life are referred by social services and
teachers.
There are four areas of support offered, Mums and children under 5, befriending 5 – 13 year olds, supporting fathers who are struggling with parental duties, and group therapy. Volunteer Befrienders spend two hours a week offering friendship to a local child, which could be collecting from school and playing games, going for a bike ride, or visiting the Discovery Centre. A Dads Project works with male prisoners before and after their release to help maintain contact with their children. Viv explained that Volunteer Befrienders are given expert tuition on the befriending role, so, if you could spare 2 hours a week for 12 months, email: [email protected] Our next meeting on Thursday 10 May at Easton Village Hall will be our AGM followed by Easton W.I.’s 96th Birthday Celebration. Sallie Peake
The Valley Gardeners’ Spring Flower Show and Mark Diacono’s talk
There was a lot going on in April for The Valley Gardeners. Our second Spring Flower show was challenging for our members in terms of finding enough spring flowers in the garden to enter the many classes. Weeks on end of cold, grey conditions meant that tulips were either still in bud or hadn’t yet emerged. The narcissi were in flower but had been battered by the snow, frost and never ending rain. Not a happy prospect for our keen gardeners but Valley Gardeners are a resourceful lot and while we didn’t have quite the number of entries as last year, the hall was full of gorgeous
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THE EASTON DUCK RACE KINDLY SPONSORED BY KNIGHT FRANK, WINCHESTER
SUNDAY 3RD JUNE 2018 AT 12 NOON
The Duck Race - fun for all ages! will start at 12 noon on the river be-low The Old Rectory, Church lane, beyond the Easton Playground.
Please come anytime from 11.30am to enjoy the build up and buy those last few ducks! 1st Prize is £50, prizes for 6 places this year!
Ducks will be sold around the villages in the weeks before and on the day itself. £2 a duck or 6 for £10. After the Duck Race there is a family BBQ lunch open to all. To buy BBQ TICKETS – PLEASE FILL OUT AND RETURN THE FORM BELOW, WITH CASH OR CHEQUE, PAYABLE TO IVPCC To: Clare Davies, The Old Rectory, Church Lane, Easton. Ticket Prices: Adults, (13yrs upwards) - £10 - Child, up to 12yrs - £5 Family ticket to include 2 Adults and 3 children up to 12yrs - £25 TICKET DEADLINE - TUESDAY MAY 22nd Name …………………………………………………………………….. Email Address ………………………………………………………….. Number of Adult tickets ………… Number of child tickets ………… Number of Family tickets ………………
Tickets will be emailed out to you, Please bring them on the day! ALL PROFITS GO TO THE ITCHEN VALLEY CHURCHES
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fragrant flowers, arrangements of springtime shrubs, floating hellebores and photographs of seasonal delights. All this contributed to a wonderful atmosphere of enthusiasm and good humour. Members who didn’t bring entries came to see the show and everyone enjoyed judging the classes, sipping tea and eating cake or even indulging in an early glass of wine.
The following Tuesday, the Club welcomed ex River Cottage head gardener and now owner of Otter Farm, Mark Diacono to a Valley Gardeners’ meeting. Mark is an expert in edible gardening and in his presentation he was encouraging us to grow unusual fruit and vegetables especially if our “veg patch” (as he endearingly called it) is limited in space. Ideas about vertical growing and close planting were suggestions for increased productivity. At Otter Farm, such exotics as a pecan orchard, Japanese wine berries and Szechuan pepper
growing in a spice hedge rub leaves with more familiar plants such as rhubarb and mulberries. Mark’s ethos is to choose to grow fruit and vegetables which you won’t find easily in the shops and which will also enhance your cooking and eating. He even made us two delectable “garden cocktails” which the 100 plus people in the hall really enjoyed and our members and guests left with a head full of ideas to put into practice in their gardens this Spring. Catherine Hahn
Easton Boules
I hope by the time you read this the incessant rain will be over and we will be enjoying summer weather suitable for an evening of pétanque (boules). We play on Monday evenings at the Oak House, Church Lane, by kind permission of Judy Bishop. We gather between 6.15pm and 6.30 when games begin. Boules in Easton is already very well attended, so this is not a plea for support, but a message to say that any Easton villager who would like to join in or give it a try would be very welcome and should contact Simon Broadley first using the email [email protected]
The Pilgrims’ Way - a thousand years ago
A recent lecture for the Worthys Local History Group, given by Bob Fowler and Brian Tippett, if nothing else revealed how difficult it is to be certain which route was taken by pilgrims
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across the ages between Winchester and Canterbury.
About a hundred years ago Hilaire Belloc, perhaps best known for his Cautionary Tales for Children, attempted to plot and then walk the route most likely to have been taken by those visiting St Swithun’s shrine in the cathedral and Thomas Beckett’s tomb in Canterbury. His deductions, published as The Old Road, described a route out to Kingsworthy and along what is now the B3047 to Itchen Stoke, crossing the river to Ovington and then taking a southerly path around New Alresford via the still-existing ford downstream of Tichborne.
Whatever route they took, pilgrims might wish to visit other shrines and churches along the route and they would want somewhere safe to bed down for the night after taking refreshments. Existing paths would already have linked all these locations,
it’s just a case of choosing which ones to take. Some paths would have existed for many centuries and signs of this can be seen today. Frequently
used paths over many decades can erode the soil until it becomes a hollow way, the one near Lovington being a prime example. The Romans built many of their signature straight roads in the area, the A33 towards Basingstoke and the B3404 to the Percy Hobbs roundabout being excellent illustrations.
That these roads were kept up long after the collapse of the empire can be proved by considering the events of 1066. If decent roads hadn’t existed, Harold wouldn’t have been able to march his troops the 240 miles from Stamford Bridge to Hastings in only a few days. It was only after the Black Death that roads deteriorated when there just weren’t enough people available to maintain them. The speakers’ own research has cast doubt on the work by Belloc, suggesting instead a route over the high ground to the south of the Itchen and then north around Alresford. Alas there is no evidence of an old Roman
road east of the arrow straight section of what is now the A31; Bob Fowler favours a route on some old maps that follows the same B3404 Roman road as far as the modern cemetery before dropping down in a straight line to Avington passing Mud Farm along roads and paths still walkable today. Carrying on to Ovington along a route similar to the present minor road, the pilgrims might then have crossed the river northwards at Itchen Stoke, following paths to Abbotstone and walking north of Old Alresford to join other paths towards Alton and further to Farnham, a significant trading post in Roman times. A little local knowledge shows that there are many alternative possible east-west routes,
Hilaire Belloc
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the path from Winnall to Easton being one and Strawberry Lane passing the vineyard east of Itchen Abbas being another. Whilst all of them were probably used at some time or another by farmers, traders and even pilgrims, without discovering the medieval equivalent of a Hampshire County Council Pilgrims Route Guide, we will probably never know the most favoured route. Vernon Tottle
Ladies: - Can you hold a tune?
Learn to sing in 4-part harmony with Synergie Ladies A-Cappella.
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Wednesdays 7.30-9.30 pm at Christy Hall, Old Alresford, SO24 9DJ.
First session is free! Ability to read music useful but not essential!
For more information, please contact Steph on [email protected]
or Kathy on [email protected]
Upper Itchen Valley Society
To comply with the Data Protection Regulations coming into force on 25 May we have prepared a Policy Statement, a copy of which will be sent to all members for whom we have current email addresses during May. At the same time invitations to the Summer Party will be sent out, also by email. We apologise to those who prefer to receive a printed invitation but as it is becoming increasingly hard to justify the cost so we are trying email this year. The Summer Party will be at 6.30pm on Friday 6 July in the walled garden of the Old Coach House, Avington. If you are not a member and would like to join the Society please contact Lucy Collis on [email protected]. Alison Matthews [email protected]
Sing along with Thomas Cranmer in Ovington
As a young boy, every Sunday I was dragged along to church in Bristol by my mother for the 10am service. Going every week for so many years I got used to and eventually got to know by heart the words of the Book of Common Prayer communion service and many of the hymns. I admired the use of English written so many centuries beforehand by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Ogilby strip map 1675
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It was only when I moved to Itchen Abbas that I started going back to church but alas the Church of England had updated the approved wording and the modern “Common Worship” was now the preferred option. Despite repeated requests to the various rectors of the Itchen Valley, a sung Book of Common Prayer communion service was never part of their vision. I was therefore delighted the other week to find out that St Peter’s church in Ovington, just up the river, has a Book of Common Prayer sung communion service once a month. I recently went along and had a splendid time, reciting all the old vocabulary just like I did when a little boy and singing from Hymns Ancient and Modern. It was like being back in Bristol in short trousers. If you fancy being reminded of your younger days, do visit Ovington on the third Sunday of the month at 10 am. You will be made most welcome. Vernon Tottle
WW1 memorial in Itchen Stoke to be restored to its original glory
The lovely glass mosaic memorial to Major Reginal John Ponsonby Cox (1874-1915), which sits on the wall of the nave in St Mary's Church, Itchen Stoke was vandalised in 2014. The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) who manage this beautiful church have commissioned the restoration of the memorial, the work being carried out by Salisbury Cathedral Stained Glass. See the photo of the memorial before it was vandalised.
To celebrate the start of the restoration of the memorial to the Major, there will be a special event at St Mary's on Monday 9 July. There will be a short presentation from Meriel O'Dowd, CCT Conservation Manager, and specialists from Salisbury Cathedral Stained Glass will be present with a demonstration of glass cutting and painting. Refreshments will be served. Timings for this event have still to be finalised, but hold this date - details will be circulated as soon as possible.
The history of St Mary's Church is well known, but not so well known is the history of the memorial itself or of the Major. This type of memorial is unusual and nothing is yet known about who commissioned it or who carried out the work. Recently more information has come to light about the Major, his career and that he’s buried in Abernathy Church in Scotland. He was training his regiment in Alresford in 1914-15, and that is the only clue at present as to why his memorial is in Itchen Stoke. The Major was unmarried, so the last line of the
inscription perhaps hints at a local relationship.
The inscription on the memorial reads: In proud and loving memory of Reginald John Ponsonby Cox
Major Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, only son of Major John Ponsonby Cox late Durham Light
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different for different providers. The Chamber wants to map and campaign to reduce the number of deadspots.
As the spring growth starts in the garden, you can turn your compost into soil conditioner! To order a delivered-to-your-home cheaper compost bin (from £17.98 plus delivery) from HCC- just go to www.hants.gov.uk/smartliving
This’s month’s Consultation is the Short break consultation: this will close at midnight on Sunday 3 June 2018. Respond online via the HCC website. This is for the proposed changes to Hampshire County Council’s Short Break Activities Programme for children with disabilities. As yet, Hampshire does not know if this affects 5000 or 9000 children. It seeks feedback on a number of ways that the Short Break Activities Programme could be provided from April 2019. The new service aims to maintain a programme within a much reduced budget that provides breaks for parents and carers of disabled children, while providing fun and educational opportunities for the children and young people receiving them. HCC has received £3m of the Government pot of money to repair the holes that sprung up after the bad weather. You tell me that potholes are really bad, and taking too long to mend. Please continue to report holes on www.hants.gov.uk, go to ‘report a pothole’, as you see them and keep a record of your tracking number: if they are not filled promptly, I will report them too. Police cover and surveillance. I have met with Sgt Wood (who is now back at the Alresford Police Station and covers the outer ‘doughnut’ of Winchester) to discuss several issues including the recent series of break-ins:
Infantry and Emily Chalmer his wife. Born April 2nd 1874, served in India and Egypt was with the new army in training at Alresford 1914 - 15. He gave his life for his country at the Battle of Loos September 27th 1915. This tablet is placed here by one who loved him. If anyone has any information about the memorial, the Major and any local connections, please do contact Ed McGregor at the Churches Conservation Trust: emcgregor@ thecct.org.uk 07872 502118
For more information on St Mary's Itchen Stoke, the Churches Conservation Trust or becoming a local CCT volunteer see: https://www.visitchurches.org.uk Sue McNaughton - Volunteer, CCT. [email protected]
Jackie’s County Corner for May
It was a real pleasure to open the Men’s Shed in Alresford this month- open to men of all ages, and now available in other communities! There’s one in The Worthys too. Contact me if you’d like more details.
The Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is seeking Mobile Phone ‘notspots’ , albeit that it will be
Itchen valley church services
Sunday 6th May
8am BCP Holy Communion Avington
10am All Age Service Itchen Abbas
11am Matins Martyr Worthy
Sunday 13th May
8am BCP Holy Communion Easton
10am Parish Communion Itchen Abbas
6pm Evensong Martyr Worthy
Sunday 20th May Pentecost
8am BCP Holy Communion Martyr Worthy
10am Valley Worship Easton
6pm Evensong Avington
Sunday 27th May
8am BCP Holy Communion Itchen Abbas
10am Parish Communion Martyr Worthy
6pm Taize Easton
Rector
Rev Alex Pease 791010
Licensed Lay Minister
Mr Gerry Stacey 620263
Parish website:
http://itchenvalleychurches.org.uk/
Itchen Valley Churchwardens:
Robin Greenwood 779540; Andrew Impey 779645;
Theo Mezger 07775 908014; Vanessa Rosewell 841182;
Tony Gaster 779110; Nick Owen 779110
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in the Itchen Valley under Andrew Micklefield’s encouraging supervision. Lucy and I can honestly say that it has been a continuous pleasure to be engaging with you all, getting to know you and seeing God work in this community.
I know there’s been a lot of change. But don’t worry. After one or two initial tweaks to service schedules to make things work practically for the reduced clergy provision, I expect that we will be able to settle down to a period of stability, after so much coming and going in the last few years. Leading a church in the countryside is a very different thing to leading a church in a town or suburb. For one thing, in my role as Rector of Itchen Valley Parish, I am for all of you, whether you are regular church goers, occasional attenders at major festivals, would consider yourself Christians (but do not attend church), attend another church (or another denomination), follow a different religion entirely, or do not want to have anything to do with the church or God or deny His existence. I am here for you all - at the good times - the celebrations, like baptisms and weddings, but also at the bad times. I am also here to try to help you address the big questions of life: what is my purpose and where am I going? I will always try to make time for such questions. But church, whether it is in the town or the country, is something that we do together. Although I am ‘for’ you, I do what I do ‘with’ you. This is particularly the case given that (like you) I remain a volunteer in my new appointment (only receiving a contribution to the cost of our rent). It’s important to bear this in mind when having expectations about us. Like you, Lucy and I are going to be
she was pleased to report the sentencing of one of those that did the Cheriton/Medstead run for 6 years.
We also discussed the availability of community policing teams (which are increasing now the team is back at Alresford), Speedwatch (have you considered taking part?), Flytipping (call 101) and scam contacts (check your call on www.who-called.co.uk or call 0300 123 2040) and report scam emails to www.actionfraud.police.uk
Planning applications continue to spring up in the division, displayed on WCC, HCC and SDNPA websites. Please contact me direct if you have a concern about one near you (of any size). I was pleased to see the rigorous comments on the proposed WCC Leisure Centre by SDNPA. We will need to reach it easily and the current proposal doesn’t do that. Hopefully someone at WCC will take notice. Jackie Porter tel: 01962791054, or 07973 696 085 [email protected], [email protected]
Pastoral Letter to Itchen Valley Parish
Dear Neighbours,
Then there was one! From one full time Rector, two curates and two licensed lay ministers to just one part time Rector and one licensed lay minister in the space of a couple of years; there have been a lot of changes.
What a complete privilege and delight it is to be appointed as your new Rector! You have all been so welcoming and encouraging during the last five years, since I started my curacy
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Collections at services do not get remotely close to what we need to raise in a year. The more of us who make a contribution to regular giving, the less of a burden for the rest of us. Please contact Beccy Clark, our new Parish Administrator, at [email protected] if you would like to help.
In the Who Cares survey last Summer, we discovered that for over 40% of our community, what hurts the most in our lives is broken relationships, both in families and with neighbours. A further 16% struggle with negative emotions. I am absolutely confident that Christianity provides a framework, and Jesus provides a presence, which can heal or, at the very least, soften the effect of these hurts. If you are reading this and thinking ‘nothing can help my problems’ then please do give me an opportunity to talk to you about this and to explain how.
I am optimistic that the church can make a real difference in this community with your support and encouragement and we need the talents and experiences that only you have to achieve this. Most of all though, I expect that our journey together over the next few years will be fun. Do join us in it.
Best wishes Alex Pease
Use your vote wisely!
On Thursday 3 May there will be an election to decide the successful candidate for the vacant position of City Councillor for the ward of Alresford and Itchen Valley. There are already two councillors in post who do not come up for re-election this year but the ward is allotted three in total.
The candidates are:
away from the Valley from time to time. When I am away you should be able (during office hours) to get hold of Beccy Clark our parish administrator on [email protected] who will know my availability to meet up.
Although I try to do what I do to the best of my abilities, sometimes I get things wrong. Please do tell me when you think this has happened. I can’t promise that I will always agree with your point of view, but I can assure you that you will always be listened to and taken seriously. And we need your help, whether you would see yourselves as churchgoers or not. We need you to help us look after our neighbours; and the excellent Valley Visitors led by Lavinia Owen is the group through which we do this. Please do contact her or me if you would like to be involved. We have many other projects in prospect which we would like to start: parenting courses and marriage courses amongst other things for the benefit of our community and we need volunteers to help put these together. There are roles in which you could be involved which do not necessarily involve attending church, for example, leading the crèche for the babies on Sundays.
But also the parish is also almost entirely self supporting financially, receiving no financial support from the government or anyone else outside the Parish. If you want us to thrive at the centre of our community, please do consider whether you might make some regular contribution as part of your annual charitable giving, whether or not you would consider yourself a church goer. It is an uphill struggle to keep the show on the road. Only those who live in the Itchen Valley are likely to be willing to carry this burden.
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crucially, tackle plastic in the oceans. Furthermore, and to wide acclaim, we’ve said in coming years we will crackdown on plastics by eliminating all avoidable plastic waste.
So the announcement just before Easter that DEFRA will consult on plans to introduce a bottle deposit return scheme in order to increase recycling rates and slash the amount of waste polluting our land and seas was welcome. I am convinced this is right as we must act now to tackle this threat and curb the millions of plastic bottles a day that go unrecycled. We have already banned harmful microbeads and cut plastic bag use, and now we want to take action on plastic bottles to help clean up our oceans. Locally, the commitment to this agenda is as strong as ever and I recently met a working Mum who lives in Winchester with a passion for the environment. As a working Dad with the same, we hit it off and you have to take your hat off to the momentum Michele Ingerslev has generated for her Final Straw Winchester campaign which is asking local businesses to stop using single-use plastic straws. Her recent straw ‘amnesty’ was, as you can see, a huge success! You can find out more and back Michele’s campaign at
Lee Arthur Hayes
Margot Julia Power Irene Spencer
Don’t forget to vote! Vernon Tottle
Editor Itchen Valley News
A new hobby?
I attended a weekend workshop carving a green man, a subject I had talked about to countless people when I guided at the Cathedral. I found it a most enjoyable workshop and can really recommend it to anybody who can stand and use mallet and chisel for a whole day. There is tea and coffee and food and each of the four of us brought a small contribution to lunch. I often asked Kezia for help which she gave with great skill and kindness whilst I sat down for a few minutes with a cup of tea. More information at granaryartsinfo@ gmail.com
Gill Graham Maw
From our MP
As I am sure readers of the Itchen Valley have noticed, the environment – and especially concerns about single use plastics – have shot up the political agenda in recent months. The Prime Minister recently launched a landmark 25 Year Environment Plan which sets out how the UK will improve the quality of air and water, create richer habitats for wildlife and
example, produced only one of Handel's works in its first 60 years, but it has introduced five more of his operas in the past 20 years. This season, Giulio Cesare starts its fourth run there after a rapturous reception when first put on in 2005 - it has already had 37 performances to date, which means that well over 40,000 people have seen it there so far. Agrippina has hardly ever been put on in this country in the past 50 years. ENO staged a production in 2007. It is rumoured that the Royal Opera House will put on a new production by Barrie Kosky in the next couple of years - Barrie directed Saul at Glyndebourne in 2016 to great acclaim, and this is being revived already this year. But we have a splendid chance to see Agrippina just down the road at the Grange, starting on 8 June.
The plot is based on scandalous goings-on in Rome following the demise of the Emperor Caligula. Caligula's sister, Agrippina, was happy to see Claudius succeeding him, as he allowed her to return from the exile imposed on her by her brother. She subsequently married her uncle Claudius - O tempora, O mores - on New Year’s Day 49 AD. Just five years later, she had no compunction in disposing of Claudius with a poisoned mushroom, and manoeuvred her son Nero (then just 17) to succeed him as Emperor.
The opera focuses on the three-way interplay between Claudius, Agrippina and Nero, but diverges very substantially from the historic record. No matter, as the tangled love relationships underlying the plot provide ample scope for beautiful arias. It has become
www.facebook.com or follow her on Twitter at @FinalStrawWinch Finally this month, South Western Railway have now published a report of the outcome of the public consultation into their likely timetable changes from 9 December 2018. As you know, I maintain very strong links with SWR and have been highly critical of what I perceive to be a poor start to their tenure but am committed to work positively with them for the benefit of constituents. If you use the service regularly (from Winchester or Micheldever Station perhaps) you will want to familiarise yourself with the details which can be accessed, along with my formal response to the consultation, via my dedicated pages at www.stevebrine.com/trains
More of my work, in Westminster and here in Winchester at www.stevebrine.com or find me at www.facebook.com/SteveBrineMP Steve Brine MP for Winchester & Itchen Valley
Fashion in opera
This article is not about how characters are dressed in opera! It was actually prompted by a recent talk by Michael Chance, artistic director of the Grange Festival, about their forthcoming production of Handel’s Agrippina. It made me realise that we now welcome a new production of an unfamiliar work by Handel as nothing remarkable, whereas performances of Handel's operas were quite rare until fairly recently. Glyndebourne, for
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torches on the water two great big eels leapt up and shot across the water as fast as a water skier! I was always a bit more prepared after that for the unexpected, it made me leap out my skin! Apparently, if eels are land locked and do not venture out on land to get to a river they may live to a very old age, possibly 100. Typically an adult will leave its home to venture out to sea between 8-18 years of age (canalrivertrust.org.uk). Their huge journey back to the Sargasso Sea where they spawn and die can take over 6 to 18months. This was only found out when the young eels’ growth was plotted over their migration route by a Danish scientist in the 1920’s. The newly hatched larvae are tiny, and even by Year 3 they are only 6 cm or so. They have a lot of predators! The tiny glass eels make their way back to the UK and live in our rivers and grow. They therefore need access up weirs. How do they navigate, how do their bodies adapt to fresh water and to salt? What a life style! Sophie Rogers
From the Parish Council
The Parish Council year runs from the beginning of April to the end of March the following calendar year. That means we hold our Annual Parish Meeting at the end of April where we report to the Parish on what we have done in the past year and some of what we might hope to do in the future. If you missed that meeting try to remember it for next year. We hold our AGM in May but that is a straight
fashionable to enliven lengthy Handel arias with accompanying dance movements, and his lively rhythms lend themselves to such treatment. We look forward to seeing what Michael Chance and Robert Howarth will come up with, after their innovative Monteverdi production last season. Peter McManus
Our Wild Valley: European eel
We saw one during the Easter hols, and Chloë painted it! She thought it was a fish, just upstream of the bridge and weir near Avington Park. We all looked over and there it was, still looking like a fish but wiggling its head at a stone. Marvellous! We watched it wiggle and wiggle; it looked like it was trying to get under the stone!
As the number of young elvers joining the UK’s adult population has decreased dramatically since the 1980’s it was great to see it, and in the daylight too. They usually hunt at night and eat anything dead or dying. The last time I had seen eels was down near where the River Cuckmere meets the sea south of Lewes in Sussex. I had six ponds to search for great crested newt and one pond sat in the middle of a large cow field. As we shone our
Painting by Chloë Rogers, aged 63/4
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charitable causes and gone through the process of asking those who wished to receive funding, there was a good response. Thanks to the change of method by which the allocation to each parish was made, the sum for the Itchen Valley was much greater than last year. Despite that, the total value of the bids for funding exceeded the allocation which left us having to decide the fairest distribution we could. Remember, those who receive funding will be expected to report back later in the year on how the money has been spent. The table below gives the details. A vigilant few have commented on the missing notice board in Itchen Abbas. Don’t panic. It has gone for a major refurbishment. Once back, apart from looking smarter, there will be one big difference. One side will be kept locked and will be reserved for the official notices which we are legally obliged to put up. The other side will be for the usual free-for-all but please remove your old notices. Naturally we will also be publishing our notices on our website.
business meeting where we formally approve things like accounts and decide who will be doing what for the current year. Like all Parish Council Meetings, the public is allowed to attend the AGM, unless we resolve otherwise, but most will find this one fairly tedious. You can find out the result of portfolio allocations etc. once they are published on our website. However I will report on them in the June edition of the Itchen Valley News. Our year ended with Oliver Denniss resigning from the Council as he no longer lives in the Valley. He had been with us for two years and in that time had carried out major tasks behind the scenes:- bringing our asset register up to date, seeing that the various pieces of Parish Council land had been properly registered and that we have assets realistically insured. There is some work still to be completed and Oliver has offered to do this, for which we thank him and for all his past work. We wish him and Amanda well for the future. Having received the Boom Town money for distribution to local
Organisation Project Grant
Received £
Itchen Abbas & Avington
Village Hall
Community Defibrillator 800.00
Martyr Worthy & Easton
Cricket Club
Secure storage – garage for
equipment
750.00
Wild Itchen Valley Verges Wild flower site 560.00
King George V Trust Football storage at Couch
Green
850.00
Avington Village First Aid Training 300.00
Watercress Way 3 sleeper benches 900.00
Easton Village Hall Community Defibrillator 800.00
Itchen Valley Parish Council Establishment of Friends of Old
School Field
638.00
Total 5598.00
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PETER BRAY
DOMESTIC APPLIANCE
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Repairs to Washing Machines, Dryers,
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Service Agents for In-Sink-Erator,
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For a fast, friendly, efficient local service call Dave on 01962 435000 or 07989 582117
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That gets us round to that at last we are progressing towards having our new website up and running in the near future and it may be there by the time this publication comes out. It looks a great improvement on the old one, should be easier to use and in the long run provide a lot more information. We have spent a lot of time in the past concerning ourselves with transparency. It now appears that the tide has turned the other way in the form of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) due to come into force in May. At present they are a rather unknown quantity, creating a considerable amount of extra work. Our Clerk and one Councillor have been on one course and no doubt there will be further ones that at least some of the Council will have to attend. At the last two meetings of local council associations, GDPR has been the main topic and it is still not entirely clear what is required. We are following the course of action as set out by the national and county associations (NALC and HALC). Whether at parish level there will be any noticeable difference remains to be seen. Patrick Appleby
Planning Applications (not determined) as at 15.04.18
SDNP/18/01733/CND | Variation of condition 2 of planning permission SDNP/17/02683/FUL | Easton and Martyr Worthy Cricket Club Easton Village Hall Chapel Lane Easton Winchester Hampshire SO21 1EG
SDNP/18/01657/TCA | T1 - Ash. Reduction of the end weight of 4 lower limbs by 30% T2 - Sycamore. Reduction of end weight on 4 lower limbs by 30%.
T3 - Cherry. Removal of small overhanging branch that is damaging Pittosporum trees underneath it. | The Old Rectory Church Lane Easton Winchester Hampshire SO21 1EH
SDNP/18/01573/FUL | Construction of garage with associated landscaping following demolition of existing. | Manor Cottages Avington Lane Itchen Abbas SO21 1BJ
SDNP/18/00773/CND | Variation of condition 2 of approved consent SDNP/17/01956/FUL | Itchen Abbas Grange (formerly New House) Avington Lane Itchen Abbas SO21 1BJ
SDNP/18/00676/NMA | Insertion of window in gable end of garage, raise ridge of single storey cross wing by 173mm, insertion of dormers on southern and northern roof planes, insertion of bull's eye window and replacement of square head windows with arched head windows. | New House Avington Lane Itchen Abbas SO21 1BJ SDNP/18/01331/LIS | Erection of estate fencing. | Martyr Worthy Place Bridgets Lane Martyr Worthy SO21 1AW
SDNP/18/00679/FUL | Partial Change of Nursery (Use Class D1) at Abbots Worthy House back to Residential Dwelling (Use Class C3) and extension to roof to create additional habitable accommodation. | Abbots Worthy House Martyr Worthy Road Abbots Worthy Winchester Hampshire SO21 1DR Tony Gaster
The Practical Gardener
It’s been a tough start to the year, far too much rain and not enough sun and well below the seasonal average temperature. Yet nature still responds and everywhere there are signs of new
it doesn’t then rain, water-in. So then this year would be completely out on that basis. I do however see the
benefits of professional treatments from last year, both against chafer grubs and weeds. In the vegetable garden I have finally sown under fleece which not only helps with warmth but for seeds, keeps some of the
rain away. My deputy gardener is busy watering while I enjoy Cambodia. I think this is the most critical step in raising new plants and it pays to know
which plants like it dryer or wetter. The other interesting area is pruning and it seems to be fine to cut back hard or to make a new shape. What I have seen shows plants do respond well.
An established yew hedge had overgrown a path and a foot was cut back but now it’s sprouting well and fully green. Incidentally, this hedge is full of nests for small birds
Happy gardening. Tony Gaster.
growth. Maybe things will catch up. I was quite surprised to have pots of osteospermums in full bloom that have been over-wintering in the greenhouse. In fact everything there is in good shape including lots of small new plants.
But for the first time ever I have experienced poor germination across a range of seeds, even when they are in propagators. I can’t be sure why this is but I feel it’s a lack of sunlight. Yet the garden centres are full of nice-looking plants, but who wants to be out in the wet planting? I read somewhere about keeping off the lawn, bit daft that, if you can only access your garden via the grass.
I decided to treat all my lawn areas, a big job and it is incredibly difficult to walk in a straight line wheeling a spreader. You know the results two weeks later when part of the grass has changed colour. I must congratulate the suppliers on daft instructions: don’t use if rain is imminent, the grass should be dry but if
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Easton Village Hall Ina Williams 779465 or [email protected]
Whist Drive
Thur
7pm
Martyr Worthy Village Hall
Lucinda Ffennell 779701 or [email protected]
Itchen Abbas and Avington Village Hall
Details of bookings and real time availability are now available on our website.
www.iaavillagehall.co.uk
Hall Manager Alex Bellisario or [email protected]
or telephone 07947 191229 Village hall callbox 01962 791021
Regular Bookings
Authentic Pilates Mon 9 am, 6:30 pm Fri 9am Judy 07774 899909
Ems Bray Pilates Tue 8:45 Thu 9am Emily 07876 033893
Sally Stanyard
School of Dance
Tue 4.15 pm - 7.45 pm Sally 01962 776562
Thu 6.45 pm and Fri 4 pm
Sat 9 am - 2.30 pm
Moo Music Wed 9.15 and 10.15am Denise 01962 779182
Brew with a View Wed 3 - 5 pm Ina 01962 779465
Dionne Yoga Tue 8.15 pm;
Fri 10.30 and 11.45 am
Dionne 07961 888676
Mahjong / U3A Tue 2 - 5 pm Anne 01420 563393
Mon and Wed 8.30am to 3pm Maria 07900 437685 Riverbank
Kindergarten Tues, Thur & Fri 8.30am to 1pm
Montessori Mon to Fri 08.30 Caroline 01730 829377
Tumble Tots Mon 09.30 Clio 07378 346740
Zumba Mon 18.30 & Fri 10.00 Sue 07947 410394
Pure Circuits Mon 20.00 Juliette 07799 890860
Rugby Tots Tue 09.15 & Wed 10.20 Phil 03453 133258
Boules Tue 18.00 Jenny 01962 779813
Ladies Short Tennis Wed 14.30 Arminel 01962 779611
Pilates Wed 9.15 & 18.00 Aimee 07546 941489
Badminton Thur 19.30 Mike 07887 503345
Swing It Dancing Thur 21.30 Neil 07825 709691
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We can repair unsightly and annoying damage to
your vehicle at a reasonable cost ~ including:
Small to medium dents and scuffs
Collision damage ~ Alloy wheels refurbished
Curbed allow wheels ~ Coded bumpers
Contact: Ray Bradbear Tel: 01962 779828
Mobile: 07950 216856 Email: [email protected]
ALL ELECTRICAL WORK UNDERTAKEN
Rewires (Full or Part), Fuseboards, Testing and Inspecting, Fault Finding & Repair, Showers ,Cookers,
PAT Testing
Please call Nigel on 07989 448859 for a friendly and
reliable service or alternatively email
Odd Job Guy Outdoor Handyman
Guy Ralph
Tel 01962 852160 or
07787 710702
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Broken Bottle—Broken Heart
If you have written a book about alcoholics and the trail of disaster they leave, but offer it on behalf of the church, there can only be one way to start – by quoting Herman Melville’s Moby Dick; “Better to sleep with a drunken cannibal than a sober Christian.” Alternatively consider the words of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who described his childhood as surrounded by alcoholism, and wrote in a Parliamentary report; “One of the things I most missed was the company of others who understood the issue.” I am an alcoholic, but those who read my profile in the Valley News last year will know that. I am grateful to be in recovery and long may I stay that way. For every alcoholic, there are at least four people around him who suffer from the effects of his alcoholism. There may well be more because statistics cannot measure the denial of their illness that all alcoholics cultivate. Those nearest to the alcoholic are so often fearful of the truth as well, and even the medical profession are often ignorant of its causes and effects.
There are of course helplines and places like Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon, the latter for those who suffer from alcoholics. These organisations promise absolute personal confidentiality, but the lack of knowledge of their work is compounded by the secrecy that is endemic in alcoholics and those who suffer from them. I no longer have a need for anonymity for myself, nor even does Lavinia. As
well as going to AA and Al-Anon, we have both enjoyed the benefits of top quality counselling, which is so valuable
when given by someone who knows the illness personally. That is a good part of the reason why I have written Broken Bottle – Broken Heart – a collection of statistics and history, but more importantly stories of my own and other peoples’ experiences of alcoholic addition and its appalling consequences. If this
can be of some benefit to others, then that may help to repay some of the emotional debt I have incurred. I am not yet formally publishing the book but have copies available. £5 would cover much of the cost, but a donation to the Itchen Valley Churches would be greatly preferred. Nick Owen – [email protected]
Book Review: ‘William - An Englishman’ by Cicely Hamilton
In 1848 when Thackeray’s Vanity Fair was published, its subtitle was A Novel without a Hero and when Cicely Hamilton wrote the story of William Tully in 1919 she might well have chosen the same subtitle. She too is describing a war which caused unimaginable human loss and which had little of the conventional glorious heroism of literary tradition.
William is essentially a very ordinary man who is converted to pacifism and to the cause of women’s suffrage. He meets and marries little Griselda, a suffragist and an ‘unconscious little humbug, with her mouth slightly ajar and suggestive of adenoids.’ The couple decide to spend their honeymoon in the Belgian Ardennes.
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After an idyllic, cocooned few weeks there, a day dawns on which their paradise is lost forever. They have been so deeply involved in the cause of women’s suffrage and the pacifist movement that, although it is the summer of 1914, they are amazed by the horrific events which gradually unfold in front of them.
These events are the catalyst for William’s drastic change of opinions. ‘To the natural shrinking from that spectacle (of slaughter) to his natural horror at the slaying of helpless men, to his pity and physical nausea, was added the impotent, gasping confusion of the man whose faith has been uprooted, who is face to face with the incredible.’ In many ways, although the fortunes of this very ordinary couple are tied up with the First World War, this is a story set on the fringes of war and the author casts an oblique and sometimes sardonic look at those people caught up in it. Cicely Hamilton was an advocate equal pay, of birth control and of women’s rights but did not always regard the suffragist movement as ‘heroic’. She was quite without sentimentality, as is evident in this novel. She was herself a nurse in a hospital near Paris from 1914 to 1917 and was writing from experience. She saw heroism rather as Wilfred Owen did but her novel is a defence of, not a satire on, war and its causes. It is the story of every man and woman whom the tsunami of war overtook and swept away. Clare Gaster
Annual church meetings
Once a year the church has a meeting with two sections. It starts with the Annual Meeting for Parishioners. Anyone living within the parish may attend this meeting; irrespective as to whether they worship at the churches, and they have a right to speak to that meeting. This is the forum for persons to raise those issues which concern them and which relate to local church activities, or possibly their concerns about a lack of church action. No concerns were raised this year.
The second section of the meeting is the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), which is the major part of the evening. The function of the annual meeting is similar to that of a company AGM, in that it provides a formal occasion to review the successes (and any shortcomings) of the previous year and to outline future plans. This is a meeting for the 224 members on the electoral roll, 192 of whom live within the parish. The APCM was held on 19 April at Avington House. It was well attended and was an enjoyable evening. The success of the evening was again in part due to the hospitality of Charlie
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and Sarah Bullen; who welcomed us to Avington House and allowed us to use their library for the session. The meeting this year began at the end of a glorious sunny spring day, a fact which coupled the news that a new rector has been appointed, must have caused each of us to reflect how blessed we are to live in the Itchen Valley.
The detail of the meeting is recorded on the church website. However, in summary, our church membership is increasing, finances are good and we have the right staff in post.
The increase in church membership is modest but when viewed in the context of increasing demands on our time, this is a major achievement. It reflects an encouraging start to our efforts to encourage young families to attend and to contribute to less traditional services that are not centred on communion. Such services now take place twice a month and are well supported by ‘the under 50’s’; who after all are the future of this community.
I’m sure that whilst I have written above that finances are good, the treasurer would like me to say that they could be better - and indeed that
is the case.
The fact that we have ‘the right staff in post’ was stressed by the rector; initially in regard to church wardens, who
helpfully have wide ranging yet also complementary skills. Becky Clark is our recently appointed administrator and she has all the skills to meet the increasing requirements of that job. And Madeline Quest-Ritson our bookeeper and Gift Aid secretary has created an effective and efficient format for such work. Consideration in regard to having the right staff includes Alex and his wife Lucy. They have been with us five years, so we knew what we would be
getting when we petitioned the bishop to ask him to become our rector. We are most fortunate that he has accepted this appointment. Meetings like the APCM give opportunities to thank people
who devote their time and abilities to the work of the church. The rector read the long list of church activities; each of which would involve several persons, we are grateful to all of them.
Amongst acknowledging the ways people support the church was recognition of those who had provided canapes and wine at the beginning of the evening, which had
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CURTAINS and
AUSTRIAN BLINDS
Throw-over bed covers made up from
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Headboards & dressing tables covered.
Christening gowns made to order.
Tel: Mrs Egleton 07985 517169 01962 779586
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All makes serviced and repaired
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ITCHEN VALLEY B&B CHILLANDHAM LANE
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Pure circuits classes Mondays 8-9pm
at Itchen Abbas Village Hall Are you up for a new challenge? Suitable for all
levels of fitness. No equipment or fancy gear
needed, just a good sense of humour!
Run by local Fitness Instructor Juliette Green.
FIRST CLASS FREE - Drop in classes only £6.
Email [email protected]
or phone/text 07799 890860 to book your FREE place.
Butchers & Game Dealers 0f Distinction. Home cooked hams, pies freshly cooked
daily. Freezer orders. Hog roasts or
Barbeques for your wedding parties etc.
Butchers of Distinction
Home Made Pies. Ready Meals
A Variety of Seasonal Game
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Dave Giles of Giles Tiles Floor and wall tiling
Kitchen & bathroom refits
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07513 941962 01962 854184
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got our Christian fellowship off to a good start. Before the meeting concluded with prayers for activities to take place in the coming year, there were presentations to Lucy Pease (whose time and skills had got the administrative hub started and then functioning to great effect) and to Sarah Shirley (whose unswerving support for the parish and in particular St Mary’s, Avington was acknowledged). Such presentations formally recognised our gratitude to them. David Poole
Bulk buying organic and ethical food in the Itchen Valley
My family and I eat organic food, and are trying to be more ethical and environmental in our purchasing choices. I then had an idea. I work for an organisation called Buddhafield who run festivals and camping retreats, and we use a supplier called Essential who deliver our food directly to the fields in which we camp. They're a food co-operative, based in Bristol and describe themselves as 'A leading UK organic and Fairtrade product wholesaler.” If they can deliver to a field in Devon, then they can deliver to the Itchen Valley!
So, putting a call out on the Itchen List, I found some other people who wanted to try buying this way and we set up an account with Essential. I send round reminders, and then I place the final order when we're all ready. We've now had our first delivery, which I took in Itchen Abbas, and it was very exciting. The group ordered staples such as oats, tinned
tomatoes, museli, rice and lentils, plus more exotic items including kombucha, dark chocolate with hazelnuts and vegan organic lager. One thing I would like to experiment with is splitting things in the group. So for this first order we all bought separate things (e.g. we bought one case of tea for our house, which is six boxes) but in the future we might go halves on a 'case', and have three of the boxes of tea with someone else having the other three. If you're interested in joining, then email me at [email protected]. To find out more about Essential go to www.essential-trading.co.uk. I have a hard copy catalogue; if anyone would like to browse it let me know.
It feels like a positive move for our Valley, to make a small change to our shopping habits, which will have a good effect on the environment, animals and people down the supply chain. Sarah Boak
Surgery News
Bank Holiday Closures
We have a number of Bank Holiday
closures in May. We will be closed
on Monday 7 May & Monday 28 May.
Outside surgery hours urgent medical
care is provided by Care UK. The
service is available by telephoning 111
or 01962 718697 if 111 is not available
from where you are calling. NHS 111
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. It can provide medical advice and
details of the best local service that can
provide care.
A team of fully trained call advisers,
supported by nurses, assesses patients’
symptoms and puts them directly in
touch with the people who can help;
for example, an out of hours doctor, a
district nurse or an emergency dentist.
NHS 111 can also send an ambulance,
without delay, if required. Travel
abroad – Please allow up to 2 months
before departure for vaccinations. If
you think you may need advice and
vaccinations from us you must
complete a questionnaire (available
from reception or from our website)
and make an appointment with a nurse
Exam revision go away, here comes photo judgement day
All you guys aged 16 or under, don’t forget to send us your photos for the Itchen Valley News June 2018 front cover competition.
Your photo can be of any subject you wish but it must be taken within the Itchen Valley. If you are using a mobile phone or tablet, make sure you are using the highest possible quality setting as most normal phone pictures will pixelate when enlarged to fill our size paper. Please send your entries to [email protected] by 15 May. Much more fun that swotting for those pesky tests. Vernon Tottle Editor, IVN
40
Local monthly information
Waste collections in May Black bins and green bags on Saturday 12 and Friday 25 May. Green bins on Friday 4 and 18 May.
Cameo On Tuesday 15 May.
Farmers. Market in Winchester
Sundays 13 and 27 May.
Parish Council Full Meeting
Wednesday 2 May Itchen Abbas VH Please note change of day!
67 Bus operated by Stagecoach.
School term timetable operates until
Friday 25 May.
Weekdays to Winchester:
07:53 09:23 11:23 13:23 16:23 17:23
Weekdays to Alresford:
09:19 11:19 13:19 15:19 17:11 18:09
School holiday timetable operates
from Tuesday 29 May.
Weekdays to Winchester:
07:53 09:23 11:23 13:23 15:23 17:23
Weekdays to Alresford:
09:19 11:19 13:19 15:19 17:09 18:09
Saturday service (same for the whole
month)
Towards Winchester:
08:23 11:23 14:23 17:23
Towards Alresford:
09:19 12:19 15:19 18:09
No Sunday or bank holiday service
All times shown are at Itchen Abbas.
Times are 5 minutes later (or earlier)
at Easton.
www.sallycurson.co.uk
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41
FULFLOOD GALLERY & FRAMING
Keith Butcher [email protected] 3 Stockbridge Road, Winchester, SO22 6RN 01962 877992 www.fulfloodgalleryandframing.co.uk
LAWN CARE
Feed, Weed and Moss Control
Single/All-Year-Round Treatment
Scarifying/Overseeding
Weed Control of Driveways/Paths
Tel: Brian 07710 792839
A H SERVICES Domestic gas engineer - certificated
plumbers Boilers/Cookers/Gas fires - Installs/Servicing/Repairs
Electrical - Gas safety checks - Landlord’s safety certificates
Bathrooms Property maintenance
Fully insured.
Telephone 07533 776406 or 07847144092
Meliora cogito
MH GARDEN WORKS
Grass and Astro Turf
Fencing + Decking + Patios
Garden maintenance
free quotes and advice
07818 800706 or 01962 469489
Keylink SAS Ltd
Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and VAG servicing & repairs specialist.
(All other makes too). Competitive rates, full diagnostics, MOTs arranged. Air conditioning service and repair. Free collection, delivery or courtesy car.
www.keylinksas.co.uk [email protected]
01256 397150 Unit 15/16 The Calvert Centre Woodmancott Winchester, SO21 3BN
42
High Quality
- Dressmaking
- Restyling
- Alterations
- Repairs
Traditionally made
- Bespoke curtains
- Blinds
- Cushions
- Curtain tracks
& poles
- Fabrics
Call or email us today
Jemma Giles your local
Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist.
Treating clients who suffer from:-
*Back and neck issues * Headaches
*Frozen shoulder *Tight muscles
*Low energy *Tennis elbow
Call Jemma to arrange your treatment on
07752 623234 or 01962 854184 [email protected]
www.massagetherapywinchester.co.uk
43
Blinds & Awnings
THE
COUNTRY
HOUSE COMPANY
Property Sales I Lettings I Management
02392 632 275 countryhousecompany.co.uk
TEL 01962 771800 TEL 01962 771800 LACEYS FARM, BRAMDEAN, ALRESFORD SO24 0JT
www.georgecanngardenmachinery.co.uk
Showroom Workshop
